Warm Honey
by Slayergirl
Summary: Post 'Shadows' - not what happened, but what should have happened, if only the writers had an ounce of romance in their souls! ; Not sure it really needs a T rating, but I'm playing on the safe side.


**Warm Honey**

Nikki gave a shrug and grimaced. "Yeah, you try and steer clear."

Harry looked at her intently. "How's that working out for you?" He smiled, suddenly, and reached for her hand, twisting it gently so that he pulled her closer to him.

She giggled, a sexy little giggle that made him hold her closer than usual, her arms wrapping round him as she dropped a kiss onto his temple, lingering over it longer than was necessary. She laid her cheek against the top of his head, not wanting to let go; more importantly, perhaps, not wanting Harry to let go of her, either.

He didn't let go, but eased himself out of his chair so that he was standing, arms still around her. _I feel so strong when I'm with you,_ she thought, scoffing inwardly a little at how horribly girly it sounded, even in her head. Suddenly shy, unsure, she found she didn't dare look up at him; she knew what she'd see, and it scared her a little. Seeing it would make it real, somehow, and she wasn't sure she could deal with that. Her heart was already fluttering like a butterfly's wings, every nerve ending in her skin seemed sensitised, and warmth eased through her veins like warm honey.

She thought her heart would stop as Harry's lips brushed her hairline gently; innocent as it might have been, it did things to her that felt anything but. _It's just a hug_, she told herself. _We've done this before. It's no different to the other times._

It felt different, though. Were Harry's hands just slightly lower on her back than normal – closer to her hips as he held her close to him? Was he holding her just fractionally too close for it to be regarded as just a friendly hug? Was the fact that he was holding her for too long for this to be a hug, and too tightly for it to be a cuddle, mean anything? Did the fact that his cheek was now resting against hers mean that there was something more going on here than could be covered by friendship?

She shivered as he moved, cheek sliding against hers, his mouth now dangerously close to hers. "Cold?" he murmured, one arm wrapping round her shoulders, as if to ward away any chills.

"No," she whispered back, unable to move, but unable to stop shivering, either. "Not cold."

She could feel him smile against her cheek. "You know how I said there were things I wanted in life, but had no idea how to get them?" he went on, in the same, low voice.

"Mm?" she responded, not daring to trust her voice any further.

His lips trailed along her cheek to her ear, caressing it gently before he spoke. "How am I doing?" he asked in a whisper.

Her knees buckled slightly. _Jesus, and he hasn't even kissed me yet. Not properly._ She gasped in a breath, as a shudder went through her. "Pretty… well, I'd say," she managed.

She ceased to care about the grin that followed her remark when the lips that had smiled against her ear traced back across her cheek to find hers, brushing them in a teasing, gentle kiss. Of their own volition, her arms wound around his neck, and Harry pulled her even closer, supporting her full weight as if she weighed little more than a rag-doll. When he very slowly, deliberately, sucked her lower lip gently, tongue flickering over it to steal a taste of her, she nearly fainted.

_How does he do this to me?_ she wondered hazily, as she responded to the slow, gentle probing with a welcoming moan. She arched up, pressing closer to him, one hand finding its way into his hair. She didn't want him to pull away. Ever. Breathing seemed to be a luxury she could well live without; it certainly didn't seem necessary right now.

Soft and slow the kiss continued, unhurried, until she felt herself pressing for more, her own need for him allowing her to take over just enough to let him know that she wanted this, more of this, more of _him._ Then, as if he'd been waiting her silent permission, he responded more avidly, hand cupping the back of her head as he kissed her with more passion, more raw _need_ flooding into her. She whimpered, arms tightening round him, and tore her mouth away from his. "God… Harry…" she gasped, as his lips used their new-found freedom to kiss her neck.

Tasting his name briefly, sweetly, on her lips, he drew back a little, and rested his forehead on hers. He was shaking slightly, breathing just as erratically as she was. He kissed her again, little more than a brush of his lips against hers, but still enough to make her quiver. "I've wanted to do that for so long," he confessed.

She realised she was shaking, too, as his arms tightened round her in a comforting hug. She nodded. "I've… wanted you to, as well. Ever since…"

"Ever since…?" he asked, the beginnings of a smile lurking round the corners of his lips.

She flushed. "Ever since you first kissed me," she said quietly, not quite meeting his eyes.

He kissed her again, once more slowly and unhurriedly, then drew back again with a smile. "Maybe we should stop wasting time, then," he suggested.

Nikki couldn't have agreed more.

**A/N: this is currently a stand-alone fic. It could continue, but I'm not sure whether to write it as a new chapter, as another stand-alone sequel, or leave it as it is. Any thoughts (including what you'd like to see, if you want) would be more than welcome! Please R&R and let me know!**


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